Volume 103, Issue 2 pp. 150-156

The Effects of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol on Motion-Induced Emesis in Suncus murinus

Nina L. Cluny

Nina L. Cluny

The School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, and

Search for more papers by this author
Robert J. Naylor

Robert J. Naylor

The School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, and

Search for more papers by this author
Brian A. Whittle

Brian A. Whittle

GW Pharma Ltd., Porton Down Science Park, Salisbury, UK

Search for more papers by this author
Farideh A. Javid

Farideh A. Javid

The School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, and

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 19 July 2008
Citations: 36
Author for correspondence: Nina L. Cluny, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1 (fax +1 403 283 3028, e-mail [email protected]).

Abstract

Abstract: The effect of cannabinoids on motion-induced emesis is unknown. The present study investigated the action of phytocannabinoids against motion-induced emesis in Suncus murinus. Suncus murinus were injected intraperitoneally with either cannabidiol (CBD) (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC; 0.5, 3, 5 and 10 mg/kg) or vehicle 45 min. before exposure to a 10-min. horizontal motion stimulus (amplitude 40 mm, frequency 1 Hz). In further investigations, the CB1 receptor antagonist, N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-iodophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (AM 251; 5 mg/kg), was injected 15 min. prior to an injection of Δ9-THC (3 mg/kg). The motion stimulus was applied 45 min. later. The number of emetic episodes and latency of onset to the first emetic episode were recorded. Pre-treatment with the above doses of CBD did not modify the emetic response to the motion stimulus as compared to the vehicle-treated controls. Application of the higher doses of Δ9-THC induced emesis in its own right, which was inhibited by AM 251. Furthermore, pre-treatment with Δ9-THC dose-dependently attenuated motion-induced emesis, an effect that was inhibited by AM 251. AM 251 neither induced an emetic response nor modified motion-induced emesis. The present study indicates that Δ9-THC, acting via the CB1 receptors, is anti-emetic to motion, and that CBD has no effect on motion-induced emesis in Suncus murinus.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.